Buying a new build apartment in Marseille off-plan or under a VEFA contract (Vente en l'État Futur d'Achèvement) involves a payment structure that is radically different from buying an existing property. Rather than a single one-off payment at the notary's office, the price of the property is paid progressively, in line with the progress of the construction site.
This system, regulated by law and known as stage payment requests (appels de fonds), is designed to protect the buyer by ensuring that they never pay more than what is actually built. Understanding it thoroughly is essential for managing your cash flow, coordinating fund releases with your bank, and avoiding any payment issues that could jeopardize the transaction.
A VEFA stage payment request is a payment demand sent by the property developer to the buyer, triggered each time a key construction milestone is reached. Each installment corresponds to a specific portion of the total property price and can only be requested when the relevant stage is actually completed and certified.
This mechanism guarantees that the buyer finances the construction as it progresses, and not in advance. In Marseille, where delivery times for new build developments generally span from 18 to 36 months after the signing of the deed of sale, this progressive payment method is a central element of the project's financial management.
The schedule for VEFA stage payment requests is not left to the developer's discretion. It is strictly regulated by the French Construction and Housing Code, which sets maximum amounts that can be requested at each stage of the construction site. This regulatory framework prevents the developer from demanding funds in advance of the actual state of work, thereby protecting the buyer against the risks of an unbalanced financing scheme.
Any request that does not correspond to a certified stage can legally be challenged by the buyer, who has a period of fifteen days to complete the wire transfer once the request is received.
Stage payment requests are sent by the developer's notary to the buyer, accompanied by a certificate proving the completion milestone reached. Once received, they must be promptly forwarded to the buyer's bank so that it can proceed with the partial release of the mortgage loan.
Anticipating this forwarding timeframe is crucial: a delay in communicating with the bank can result in contractual late payment penalties. It is therefore recommended to establish a clear procedure with your banking advisor right from the start to speed up fund releases at each stage.
Our real estate agency in Marseille assists you with all these administrative and financial steps to secure your acquisition.
The regulatory schedule for VEFA stage payment requests follows a precise breakdown into several milestones. Upon signing the reservation contract, the developer may request a security deposit capped at 5% of the sale price, provided that the completion period for the sale does not exceed two years. Upon signing the authentic deed at the notary's office — which marks the beginning of the progressive transfer of ownership — an initial payment is made.
Upon completion of the foundations, total payments cannot exceed 35% of the price. Upon the building being made watertight (mise hors d'eau), meaning when the roof, framework, and load-bearing walls are completed, the cap rises to 70% of the total price. Upon completion of the building, the developer can request up to 95% of the total, and the remaining 5% balance is paid when the accommodation is handed over, upon delivery of the keys.
It is important to understand that the legal percentages represent maximum caps, not mandatory amounts. Some Marseille developers plan intermediate payments between the major regulatory milestones, particularly between the watertight stage and overall completion, to cover construction phases such as partitioning, technical equipment, or interior finishes.
These intermediate payment requests are lawful, provided that the cumulative total never exceeds the legal caps at each milestone. Their existence must be clearly stated in the reservation contract and in the deed of sale.
One of the major advantages of buying off-plan (VEFA) is that the total price of the property is definitively fixed upon signing, regardless of subsequent fluctuations in the cost of materials or labor. The buyer knows from the very beginning the exact amount they will have to pay, distributed according to the contractual schedule.
This budgetary security is particularly valuable in a context of construction price volatility such as observed since 2022. No upward revision can be imposed on the buyer once the contract is signed, except in very specific, legally regulated cases of VEFA with a revisable price explicitly detailed in the contract.
When purchasing under a VEFA contract financed by a mortgage, the bank does not release the entire loan at once but rather progressively as stage payment requests come in. During the construction period, the buyer therefore pays construction interest (intérêts intercalaires) on the sums already released, rather than traditional monthly capital and interest repayments.
This construction interest can represent a significant cost over the total duration of the build — amounting to several thousand euros on a Marseille development delivered two years after signing — and must be factored into the overall budget of the project.
The smoothness of the stage payment request process relies on rigorous organization between three parties: the developer's notary, the buyer, and the bank. At each step, the buyer receives the payment demand, forwards it to their bank with the required supporting documents, and tracks the progress of the wire transfer.
In local Marseille banking practice, processing times can vary from a few days to two weeks depending on the financial institution. It is recommended to define a fast-track processing circuit with your advisor as soon as the loan is set up, in order to avoid exceeding the 15-day contractual deadline.
When a buyer injects personal funds alongside a mortgage, the agreement with the bank generally specifies the order in which funds are mobilized: the personal contribution is usually used first, before the borrowed funds, to reduce the accumulation of construction interest.
This agreement must be clarified as soon as the financing is structured, as it can have a significant impact on the total cost of the transaction. A buyer who mobilizes 50,000 euros of personal contribution on the initial stage payment requests delays the use of credit by that much and reduces the total construction interest accumulated during the build.
Delivery delays are a reality of the new build property market. In Marseille as elsewhere, unexpected factors related to weather conditions, material supply chains, or administrative appeals can shift the construction schedule. These delays have a direct impact on the timing of stage payment requests: if a milestone is reached later than expected, the corresponding payment is also delayed. On the buyer's end, this can simplify short-term cash flow management, but it can also extend the construction interest period and delay taking possession of the property. To discover the available East Marseille 2026 new build developments, our team is ready to present the best opportunities in the area.
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